Located at the heart of the UBC Campus the
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences and Centre for Drug Research and
Development (CDRD) marks a characteristic and iconic entry point to
the south-eastern corner of the University of British Colombia in
Vancouver, Canada.

Designed by Canadian architects Saucier +
Perrotte, from Montreal in collaboration with countrymen Hughes
Condon Marler Architects, HCMA, of Vancouver the building was
completed in 2012.

Transformed Into Character

At first glance the pharmaceutical branch,
holding research, teaching, and office facilities in one, could
seem like yet another strike from the steel and glass
mafia.

But once you take a closer look, this building
grows on you.

On the three sides, the glass curtain walls hold
the building in a delightfully strict, modernistic design. Then on
the west façade the dancing cubes rising from the cantilevered
structure give the building a futuristic jolt. Underlined by the
string-lined lightning inside the building, it almost knocks you
backwards, taking any visitor by storm.

The CDRD is more than yet another faculty
building. Overlooking a plaza with an additional abstract design
that extends the buildings rectangular plan. This gives an
otherwise anonymous corner of the campus a striking identity,
asserting UBC's position not only as one of the top research
universities internationally, but also within the field of campus
architecture.

This is an icon.

The Tree of Knowledge

The idea behind the building design is to convey
the history of medicine underlining the importance of what is
produced here and to make space for researchers, faculty members,
students and the public to meet in order to strengthen and promote
new methods of individual and collaborative research.

To obtain these qualities the architects at
Saucier + Perrotte Architects and HCMA worked with the concept of
the tree, where the branches intertwines creating a complete system
of interconnections above the earthbound and life-giving ground
level.

The trunks - the ground floor is split in
sections - manifest themselves architectonically as the light
filled atria that service all ranges of programs.

UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
/ CDRD. Photo by Marc Cramer

Warmth from the Future

Unlike so many other buildings with a
glass-steel cold façade and an inner clad in contrasting warmth
this building stays true to what is promised when eying it from the
outside due to the futuristic zigzagging of the element in
accordance with the lively façade.

Inside the building has quite a warm tone due to
the intelligent compilation of wood planks, special cast concrete,
white walls and mix of yellow and black coloring. The clever
composition of the materials makes even the concrete look warm and
inviting.

Here exchange of knowledge is the main goal. The
public functions are gathered on the ground floor and the
building's transparent and inviting design easily connects it to
the surrounding community. To underline this connection an
exhibition space open to the public displaying vitrines, which can
easily be navigated by any one visiting, has been incorporated in
the building as well.

On the additional levels laboratories, seminar
rooms and offices are placed in a light an airy rooms providing the
best facilities for the users of the building.

UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences
/ CDRD. Photo by Marc Cramer

A Concept that Works

It takes intelligent architects to transform
such an abstract idea and something soft and efflorescent into a
razor sharp, futuristic state of the art building - you must hand
it to Saucier + Perrotte Architects and HCMA , they did indeed
succeed in this field.

This is a unique building that completely
fulfills the new guidelines of the campus that intend to increase
density, strengthen a sense of place, and promote design quality.
The concept works, providing the campus with a convincing
architectural experience, even if you do not know the tree story
beforehand.